WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today, joined her Congressional colleagues in fighting for legislation that will protect people in the United States from hate crimes. The “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2004,” H.R. 4204, will provide assistance to state and local law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. It will also strengthen and expand current federal hate crimes law by covering violent crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender, and sexual orientation.

Rep. Woolsey is requesting that the Hate Crimes bill be included in the House version of the Department of Defense Authorization bill for FY05. The Department of Defense Authorization bill for FY05 is going to “conference” today where the Senate and House versions of the bill are reconciled. The Senate version of the authorization bill already includes the Hate Crimes legislation.

In 2000, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a similar motion to instruct conferees by a bi-partisan vote of 232-192 to accept the Senate-passed hate crimes bill into the Department of Defense bill. Unfortunately, the Republican Leadership insisted that the hate crimes provision be dropped in conference. Rep. Woolsey was an original co-sponsor and outspoken advocate of H.R. 1343, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2001, but again, the House Republican Leadership refused to bring this bill to the House floor for a vote. She continues to fight for the passage of strengthened federal hate crimes legislation by being an original co-sponsor of the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2004,” H.R 4204.

Today, Rep. Woolsey spoke on the floor of U.S. House of Representatives calling for the Hate Crimes bill to be included in the Department of Defense Authorization bill of FY05. The following are her words as written:

“Mr. Speaker, every day at least four hate crimes are reported. Even worse are the crimes that are not reported out of fear of retaliation or the feeling that law enforcement will not follow up. We must include tough federal hate crimes language to protect all Americans into the Department of Defense Authorization bill.

“No one in this country should live in fear a day longer because of his or her ethnic background, religious affiliation, gender, disability or sexual preference. That’s why it is important to pass meaningful hate crimes legislation now. Today we can send a message to all Americans that hateful behavior is wrong and will not be tolerated.

“Existing federal law is inadequate to vigorously fight and prosecute hate crimes. Our law enforcement officials lack the resources and education to deal with these legally and socially within their communities.

“In my home state of California, ‘Reporting Hate Crimes’ a study commissioned by Attorney General Bill Lockyear reveals there is a general lack of understanding by California law enforcement agencies on how to deal with hate crimes in local communities. The study found that in some communities, public officials and business leaders discourage law enforcement officers from reporting hate crimes for fear of adverse publicity.

“Therefore, if law enforcement officers don’t always report hate crimes, their credibility in addressing the problem is diminished among community members. What’s even more alarming is that hate crimes based on gender and disability are generally not reported at all. That’s why we need strong hate crimes language in the Department of Defense Authorization bill.

“I urge my colleagues to support the motion to instruct.”